


Breathe Me

by TheStigsWriterCousin



Category: Deadpool (Movieverse), Deadpool - All Media Types, Iron Man (Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Angst and Tragedy, Betrayal, Deception, Hurt Peter, M/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Psychological Trauma, Rape Aftermath, Rape Recovery, Sexual Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-26
Updated: 2018-05-26
Packaged: 2019-05-14 05:29:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14763521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheStigsWriterCousin/pseuds/TheStigsWriterCousin
Summary: Wade takes a job and makes a terrible mistake.





	Breathe Me

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Infinity465 for this idea and for beta'ing for me!
> 
> Heed the warnings, this is seriously very dark and very angsty.

Peter stares out the window of the train, watching the buildings go by, trying his best to not zone out as he listens to his professor’s latest recommended lecture. His headphones are old, only the right side actually works, but he just hasn’t had the time between school, his internship, and crime fighting to buy a new pair. Once they cut out completely, he’ll get a new pair; until then, he does his best to block out the background noises flooding his left ear so that he can focus.

 

The walk from the station to his small apartment is only a few blocks, but it’s just long enough to reach the end of the audio recording and he shuts his phone off, sighing as he realizes it’s almost dead. Plugging it in is the first thing he does when he walks through the door, setting his bag down by the dining table that doubles as his desk. He zips his hoodie up as he adjusts the thermostat, not entirely sure how it’s colder inside his apartment than it is outside.

 

There’s a nagging thought in the back of his mind that reminds him that Tony would be more than happy to upgrade his heating unit, but he brushes it away, not wanting to take the man’s charity. The heater kicks on a few moments later as he’s opening the freezer, pulling out a handful of frozen burritos, popping them onto a plate and into the microwave before he walks back over to the table, unloading his notebook and laptop.

 

He re-reads what he’d written already, trying to remember what he was talking about the last time he was working on the essay. Redox cosubstrates. Right. He picks up where he left off, stopping only to get his food from the microwave, coating it in a thick layer of salsa before getting back to work. He types away, shifting back and forth between his notes and computer, proud of the progress he makes by the time his alarm goes off.

 

Peter saves the document, closing the computer as he stands from the table, picking his bag up off the floor. He already has almost everything he needs, but he goes into his room to get one last thing. Opening his closet, he pushes the sweaters and button-down shirts to the side, revealing a black garment bag. Tugging the zipper down exposes a simple gray suit. In the inner corner, another tiny zipper is almost impossible to see if you’re not looking for it and he slides it open, reaching inside to grab the suit he’s actually looking for.

 

With everything he needs, the strolls out the door back to the same platform as before, ready to head back just a few miles from where he was earlier in the day. When he’d first started interning at Oscorp, the back and forth annoyed him, but now he uses his time on the train to study and work on the less sensitive aspects of his research, that way when he gets home, he can spend more time relaxing.

 

Peter spends the rest of the afternoon in the lab, trying not to mix up the research he’s doing for his essay with the research he’s doing for the internship. The subjects are similar and he’s been pushing himself hard lately, so it’s not easy, but about an hour in he’s finally able to concentrate. Once he gets into the zone, the time flies and before he knows it, he’s finished for the day, tossing his coat in the hamper before grabbing his bag out of his locker.

 

Peter walks next door, climbing the fire escape up to the top of the building, tossing his backpack into the corner. He strips his clothes off without even having to look, specifically having chosen the location because the only nearby building with a view to the roof is Oscorp Tower and the lab windows are blacked out, so he’s got as much privacy as he’s going to get in New York City. Once he’s in his Spider-Man suit, he shoots out a web and swings around to the next building and then to the next.

 

A few blocks away, he spots a familiar red and black suit and he smiles beneath his mask as Deadpool waves.

 

“Spidey! Baby boy! Shnookums!” The enthusiastic man calls out as Peter slings himself onto the rooftop. “Where you been? I’ve been waiting here for hours.”

 

“I’m like.. Five minutes late, Wade.” Peter laughs as he smacks Wade’s hands away, rejecting his hug.

 

“Well, I’ve still been here for hours..” Wade pouts as Peter moves to the side of the building, looking down at the people passing by below.

 

“And whose fault is that?” Peter cocks an eyebrow.

 

“Rudy Giuliani’s.” Wade answers seriously. “It’s a long story.” He waves a hand, changing the subject. “Anyway, let’s go kick some bad guy ass!”

 

“Let’s.” Peter steps backward off the edge of the building, waving to Wade before shooting out a web to catch himself, gently easing down to the ground below, looking up just in time to see Wade do the same thing, stepping over the ledge with his arms spread wide.

 

Peter sighs, sending a web up to catch him, swinging him between the buildings. He slams into the wall, but it’s better than the twelve story drop he was looking at before. Wade pulls a knife from a holster on his side, slicing through the thin string to free himself, dropping the last few feet with a heavy ‘thud’.

 

“You’re crazy, you know that, right?”

 

“Come on, everyone knows that.” Wade walked up to him. “But I knew you’d save me, baby.” Wade placed a small kiss on his cheek before Peter punches him in the shoulder, walking out of the alley.

 

“You coming or what?” Peter doesn’t turn around, he knows Wade’s coming. Ever since the first time they’d started working together, Peter knew that Wade would follow wherever he went. After all, he gave up a lot for Peter to even give him the chance to work together.

 

\---

 

“So, that’s it? You just let him go?” Peter stared at the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent in charge.

 

"He completed his mission.” The agent shrugged.

 

"He's also killed a bunch of people!" Peter's eyes couldn't get any wider as he tried to process the words coming out of the man's mouth.

 

“Allegedly." Wade added.

 

"If you're so worried about it, I suggest you keep an eye on him." The man didn't wait for a response before uncuffing Wade's wrists.

 

"Oooh, hot new babysitter.." Wade grinned at him.

 

Peter glared daggers at the mercenary, more than a little pissed off that his teasing wasn't really too far off. Peter's conscience was not going to just allow Wade out on the streets knowing how dangerous he was.

 

The next few days consisted of Peter spending almost all of his nightly free time following Wade around town, sure he was going to get up to something unsavory. By the end of the first week, Peter was starting to feel like he was wasting time he could be spending actually helping people. He was finally about to give up and let Wade be when he realized he'd lost track of the man.

 

"If it isn't my favorite stalker!" Wade popped up behind him just as his spidey senses started going off and Peter jumped up, sticking himself to the wall.

 

"Fuck! Don't  _ do _ that!" Peter barked at him as he unstuck himself, dropping to the ground. "What's  _ wrong _ with you?"

 

"You want the list?" Wade started to pat his pockets as if he was searching. "Forget it, it's too long. I'll e-mail it to you." Peter just looked at him, not sure what to make of his unique brand of humor. "All right, cutie, here's the thing-" Wade leaned back against the wall. "As much as I love you following me around at all hours of the night, um.. How do I put this gently..?" He paused as if he were thinking. " _ Stop it _ ."

 

"No." Peter wasn't going to admit that he was just about ready to give up. If he was going to stop watching Wade, it sure as hell wasn't going to be because the man told him to.

 

"Come on, don't you have better things to do, Spider-man?" He asked and Peter sighed. He did. He really, really did.

 

"You think I  _ like _ following you around?" Wade put his hands out as if he was considering it. "Well, I don't. But you're more dangerous than ninety percent of the population, so if I have to spend my nights following you around instead of kicking criminal's asses, that's what I'm going to do."

 

"Ooh, kicking criminal's asses sounds kind of fun.." Wade gasped. "Okay, what if- Stay with me for this-  _ I fight crime with you _ ?" Wade held his hand out for a high-five and Peter just continued to glare.

 

"That's crazy."

 

"Crazy like a fox."

 

"No."

 

"So crazy it  _ just might work _ !"

 

"No! It's like 'never gonna happen' crazy!"

 

"Come on, you have to admit, it's genius." Wade pushed off the wall, walking up to Peter. "You want to keep an eye one me, right?" Peter nods. "And you want to fight crime, right?" Another nod. "I'm good at killing people so, it stands to reason that I would make an  _ awesome _ crime fighter."

 

Peter tightened his jaw. He wasn't  _ wrong _ ..

 

"I'm not going to team up with a murderer." Peter stated firmly.

 

"I could.. Not murder people? Probably." Wade shook his head. "No, yeah, I can definitely do that."

 

"You.. Would stop killing people?" Peter didn't believe him, but he was intrigued by the idea.

 

"Well yeah. It's not like I need the money and if I get to beat the crap out of a bunch of assholes, that sounds like fun."

 

Peter considered the proposal for a moment, eyeing Wade cautiously. He figured that there was an ulterior motive, but he couldn't put his finger on what it was. Still, it would allow him to keep an eye on Wade and patrol at the same time..

 

"Fine. The first time I get word of you killing again, I'm going to take you down."

 

"Oh, you can take me down any time, baby boy.." Wade grinned and Peter sighed. What the hell had he just signed up for?

 

\---

 

"Damn! I should have let you play with my swords before, that was hot!" Wade grins at him as he takes the sword back from Peter's hand. "I thought you were gonna take his head off for a second there." Peter smiles as he webs the man to the wall.

 

"I would never." Peter mocks offence and Wade just laughs.

 

"I know." He puts a hand on Peter's shoulder. "Hungry?"

 

"Always." Peter lets Wade lead the way, not shrugging the arm off from around his shoulders. Among Wade's many talents is choosing the best place to eat, even if it looks like the worst place from the outside.

 

"So," Wade starts between bites. "When are you gonna let me take you on a real date?"

 

"This isn't romantic enough for you?" Peter grins as he looks around at the paint chipping off the walls and the chunk missing from the edge of the table.

 

"No way! We would go somewhere super fancy, like where the menus don't even have prices." Peter makes an impressed face. "Yeah. Big time romantic. Then we'd go back to my place- Or yours.." Peter gives him a pointed look.

 

"Fine, my place it is." Wade continues, leaning back in his seat, poking his foot out to rub up Peter's calf only to have it kicked away. "I'd get you out of that suit.. Out of that mask.."

 

"Wade.."

 

"Come on, you've seen my ugly mug.."   
  
"It's not.." Peter sighs. "It's not about that."

 

If he's being honest with himself, he wants to reveal his identity to Wade- He's wanted to for a while now, but it's not just about him. He'd been more high-profile in the past years, working with the Avengers and even S.H.I.E.L.D.. The risk is exponentially higher than it used to be and he can't risk putting his family and friends in danger.

 

He trusts Wade, cares for him even, but the man has a lot of enemies and every time he thinks about telling him, something reminds him that it's too dangerous and he just can’t bring himself to do it.

 

Wade drops the subject, going back to telling jokes like every other time Peter shot him down. When they finish their meals and go their separate ways there's no resentment- There never is. It makes him doubt if the other man is even serious about his flirting. That's another reason Peter hesitates- What if he opens up to Wade and it turns out the man just wanted a one night stand? Peter's not sure he could handle that..

 

\---

 

Wade's swords hit the floor with a loud bang, followed by his holsters and belt. He walks through the living room, dropping gloves and boots in his wake as he heads for the bedroom. Once he’s out of his suit, he tugs on a pair of jeans and a dark hoodie, grabbing his wallet and keys on the way out the door, not even bothering to get comfortable after his long night of crime fighting with Spidey.

 

He’s got somewhere to be.

 

He pulls the hood of his jacket up, partially because of the weather, partially to hide his face as he makes his way to the most run-down bar in the neighborhood. On his way through the door, a man leaving bumps into his shoulder, opening his mouth to say something, but the glare that Wade gives him shuts him right up. He brushes it off, walking up to the bar to order a drink before taking a seat at his usual booth. He’s only halfway through his beer when he hears the hush that settles over the bar, looking over to the door to see a tiny, young girl, arms wrapped around herself as everyone stares.

 

“You need something, sweetheart?” One of the burly men at the bar stands, asking her and she backs away a little.

 

“I have this..” She holds out a card and everyone huffs, going back to what they were doing. The man behind the bar points her to Wade’s booth and she approaches him hesitantly, slowly setting the card down on the table.

 

“Have a seat.” He speaks softly, not wanting to startle her. “What can I do for you?”

 

“I..” She looks like she’s holding back tears. “I want you to hurt someone. You- You do that, right?”

 

“I can do more than that.. If you want.” Wade offers, just in case.

 

“N-no, I don’t..” She looks up from the table, anger showing through her sadness. “I want you to do to him, what he did to me.”

 

“What did he do?” He’s pretty sure he knows, but in his line of work, assumptions can have deadly consequences. She takes a moment, her eye contact breaking again.

 

“He ruined my life.” Tears are falling down her cheeks and Wade grits his teeth. “He raped me- I h-had to drop out of school because we’re in the same p-program, at NYU. I can barely go outside, I’m just  _ so _ scared,  _ all the time _ ..” She hiccups as she tells him how badly she was hurt in every way, so much more than just physically and Wade already knows what he’s going to do to this guy.

 

“Hey..” He bends in, getting her attention, smiling softly at her. “You don’t have to be scared anymore, okay? I’ll take care of it.”

 

“Thank you.” She nods, smiling brokenly back at him.

 

“What’s this guy look like?”

 

“Um, brown hair, brown eyes..” She shakes her head, not able to come up with anything else.

 

“That’s good. That’s all I need.” Wade reassures her. “What’s his name?”

 

Her lip quivers as if she’s afraid to say his name out loud, but Wade nods, waiting patiently until she’s ready. She wrings her hands together and takes a deep breath.

 

“Peter Parker.”


End file.
